Officials in Highland Park and Deerfield are some of the latest suburbs to require people to wear face coverings when doing essential activities during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Nancy Rotering issued the Highland Park order with the support of the city council as part of an ongoing effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, officials said. The requirement went into effect Monday.
According to the order, anyone over the age of 2 must cover their nose and mouth while working or participating in essential activities, such as going to the grocery store or picking up a carryout order. It also stipulates that masks need to be worn in circumstances where social distancing is not practical.
Other essential services include hardware shopping, visiting the doctor and taking public transportation, as well as banks, automobile repair shops, landscaping and home/curbside delivery carriers, city officials said.
The order does not affect outdoor activities and other forms of physical recreation as long as individuals stay 6 feet a part from one another. People in their personal cars or at home also aren’t required to wear a face mask.
Rotering described the measure as an addition to the other social distancing efforts that have happened since the pandemic began.
“It is critical that we follow the recommendations of the CDC in terms of remaining at home as much as possible,” Rotering said in a statement. “Continuing to observe social distancing guidelines is vital to protecting our community’s health.”
With the requirement, Highland Park also joins a group of several villages and cities throughout the northern suburbs, including Skokie, Glenview and Niles, that have introduced similar emergency orders this week.
Deerfield also joined that list on Monday, when Mayor Harriet Rosenthal announced the village passed supplemental emergency orders that will require individuals over the age of 5 to wear face coverings when doing essential activities.
Deerfield’s order takes effect Wednesday. It applies to both customers and employees of businesses.
Businesses affected by the order include grocery stores, restaurants, hardware and supply stores, financial institutions, laundry services, essential government services and any home or curbside delivery carriers, according to the village.
Activities that won’t require face coverings in Deerfield include outdoor activities, as long as social distancing is maintained, and when residents use their cars for personal reasons and are staying at home.
To enforce the order, the village sent out letters to essential businesses saying they must refuse admission or service to any individual who isn’t wearing a face covering. Deerfield also teamed up with the DBR Chamber of Commerce to provide bags that contain posters about the order and 10 face masks.
“We know that we are all in this together, and we all play important roles in getting through this,” Village Manager Kent Street said in the letter. “We wish our best to you and your employees as you continue to provide essential services to our residents.”
In Highland Park, officials are imploring businesses and workers to refuse service to individuals who do not follow the new directive. They also are encouraging individuals to report any essential workers who do not comply with the order, according to a city statement.
Police will continue to enforce any emergency order and issue citations as needed, Highland Park officials said.
Guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states face coverings should not be worn by children younger than 2 and anyone with breathing difficulties, according to Highland Park. The CDC also encourages the use of non-medical masks while out in public, especially areas that have been hardest hit by the virus.
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